Farm-to-Oven Banana Bread

Warming up to a moist, cozy, banana bread

 

On a winter night such as this...
Ok. I know.  Los Angeles... 80 degrees in January. Where is winter, right?
Well, one can always imagine.  I like to imagine for a moment that I'm living on a farm in the mid-west. I'm totally bundled up with the fire source going strong, and I'm inspired to bake something with my over-ripened organic bananas that I bought last week and couldn't consume in time.

So, on a winter night such as this....
When calories are out the window, with the cold, frosty air, and I got my freshly churned butter and fresh farm-eggs (cause I want to feed my family the best), here's what I gathered to make a very simple, hearty, (almost) organic, farm-to-oven, banana bread.

A quick survey of what I had on hand:

Bananas: organic

Eggs: Free-range, vegetarian fed, no antibiotics

Butter: organic

Flour: conventional

Honey: organic

Cinnamon:  organic

Walnuts: conventional

Lemon: from my backyard

Baking soda, powder: standard

I created a hybrid by using two different recipes and gained a good balance of flavor and moisture. You might think, yikes, that's a load of butter!  Not for the faint-hearted.  I like my desserts rather hearty.  Remember, it's winter in the mid-west.  Alternatively, you can use half the butter portion and substitute the other 1/4 cup with sour cream or greek-style yogurt instead. You can also certainly use coconut oil (use a 1:1 ratio with butter). Though the flavor might be too strong for some.

One thing to remember too, is to try to have your butter and eggs come to room temperature before starting to prepare this recipe. Doing so allows everything to bake together evenly. Also, when you have softened, room-temperature butter, you won't need to break out any electric machinery, and can easily combine ingredients by hand :)

Warm-Winter-Night Banana Bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large (or 4 small-medium) ripe or over-ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup butter, softened, room-temperature
• 1 cup honey
• 2 large eggs, room-temperature

  

  Use a potato masher to mash up bananas
  

   

  

• Zest of 1 small lemon
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup walnuts(optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease (or use canola oil spray), two 9x5 loaf pans.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, mash up your bananas with a potato masher. Add honey and butter, and cream together(by hand with a sturdy plastic spatula, or by using an electric blender).
Add eggs and continue mixing till smooth. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, and continue mixing until combined. Fold in lemon zest, cinnamon, and walnuts.  Pour into pre-greased pans and bake for about 50-60 minutes.








Alternatively, use 2 smaller loaf pans and a pie pan, or any combination to bake your product. Be creative.